SpiceJet revenue management GM quits two days after discount sale

Ravi Patwal was associated with airline since its launch and was number two in revenue management department

SpiceJet's general manager (revenue management) Ravi Patwal has quit two days after the airline launched its one rupee fare scheme.

Patwal has been associated with the airline since its launch and was number two in the revenue management department. His exit is yet another example of churn in senior management which saw fresh appointments in finance, commercial and sales division.

Sources say Patwal was asked to leave the airline with immediate effect but airline spokesperson said the resignation was voluntary. "He (Patwal) has not been sacked but has voluntarily put his papers for his next venture,'' SpiceJet spokesperson said in an email response.

The one rupee fare scheme was a hit amongst customers but the airline rebuke from Directorate General of Civil Aviation which directed the airline to halt it. SpiceJet said it concluded 220,000 bookings on Tuesday, the highest till date, despite the break down in server.

Last month SpiceJet's chief financial officer Sam Issac and its chief technology officer Virender Pal quit the airline. While a media report had said Pal was asked to leave, the airline said both of them had expressed a desire to move on.

Amongst other changes R Neelakantan, the CFO in 2010-2013 has returned to this role, after serving as the head of internal audit for the Sun Group (of which SpiceJet is a part) since then. The airlines also appointed Shilpa Bhatia as senior vice-president of sales and distribution.

Sudhakar Kondisetty has joined as senior VP of information technology, replacing Pal. Fares Azeem Kilpady ioins from AirAsia X as head of revenue management in place of Anurag Jain who was moved to network planning department. Kaneswaran Avili took charge as chief commercial officer from April 1.